The present invention relates to a novel waste gas scrubbing apparatus.
Many industrial facilities produce toxic gases as a byproduct. This problem is especially acute in the electronics industry. For example, the semi-conductor manufacturing process requires the deposition of a layer of silicon on a silicon wafer. The photographic tracing process involves etching away the silicon from around the traced lines. Layers of conductive materials are then layered atop etched areas. Waste gases such as silane, trichlorosilane, tetraethyl orthosilicate, phosphine and the like are produced in such electronics fabrication process and must be safely disposed.
Toxic gases such as silanes, also include particulate matter which form viscid substances tending clog scrubbing machinery used in the prior art. In the past, toxic gases from the chip making manufacturing plants were diluted with water and transported to a sprinkler treatment plant. Moreover, the sprinklers employed in this scrubbing system were ineffective in capturing a high percentage of the gases. In addition, mechanical portions of the prior system were easily clogged and rendered, inoperable by the viscid substances resulting from the solid and gas admixtures heretofore described. Since failure to quickly remove noxious gases from the chip making process extends to spoil the newly manufactured chips, breakdown of a scrubbing system severely interrupts the manufacturing process. Needless to say the prior systems required extensive maintenance and consequential exposure of maintenance personnel to toxic fumes.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,520 which describes a hydrodynamic fume scrubber particularly usable in the electronics manufacturing industry. Unfortunately, the scrubber described in this patent includes a filter media which serves as a collection area for particulate matter. The filter media tends to clog and requires constant cleaning to permit the scrubber to operate.
A gas scrubbing apparatus which solves the problems encountered in the prior art would be a great advance in the field of air pollution control.